Profiles

A karate enthusiast since early childhood, Angelina Roman has taken the sport by storm, earning a spot on the U.S. team before her 15th birthday. There’s a new force to be reckoned with in the karate world. From her first well-aimed kick in kindergarten, teen phenom Angelina Romano has pummeled her way to the top of the sport in her age bracket, winning the national championship and earning a spot on the U.S. team. Though the martial arts are now her passion, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight for Angelina. “My dad sat me and my sister down, and …

In her book “Lipstick Brigade,” Dr. Cindy Gueli brings to light the almost-lost history of World War II’s ‘Government Girls.’ It’s one thing to document history by encountering it through antiquities, long-lost archives and dead-end trails left for an informed imagination to reconstruct. Then comes the history that remains so real, it lives, breathes and speaks through the women who made it. In those instances, the historian blossoms into a dynamic preservationist: working to record, for all time, remarkable stories and deeds that hide in plain sight. That mission becomes all the more critical when the history-makers in question — …

A reconnaissance photographer during World War II, Ralph Triggiano captured the enemy’s presence in the Pacific from 10,000 feet and the horrors of war from point-blank range. Ralph Triggiano was born in Chicago and grew up in the neighborhood of Taylor and Peoria streets surrounded by his maternal grandparents, aunts and uncles. Triggiano’s father, Joseph, emigrated from Carbonara di Bari, and his mother, Emmanuela Lorita, was born in Basilicata. Only five years old when his mother passed away, Triggiano moved in with his grandparents while his father worked on the railroad. “The aunts and uncles were really great,” says Triggiano. …

Miles of charm and a winning on-air chemistry with co-host Val Warner have contributed to eight years in the spotlight on “Windy City Live.” Ryan Chiaverini projects such a warm, affable presence as the co-host of the ABC7 talk show “Windy City Live” that as I waited to talk to him, I wondered whether he acts that way in real life or whether it’s just a persona for TV. A moment later, he bounded into his office with a big smile, a proffered handshake and a friendly gesture motioning me to sit on a sofa. During a round of chitchat, …

Through her Allegro Dance company, Anna Pishner Harsh turns Italian traditions into a cultural treasure to preserve and pass on. The traditions of Italian dance — like those of any traditional art form — only have two places to go: either the dusty confines of museum exhibits and history books, or back into the spotlight to live in real time. Picking the latter requires much more than just pluck. You have to take on the multiple roles of ambassador, preservationist and electric artist, all propelled by indomitable passion. Anna Pishner Harsh — director, founder and choreographer for the Allegro Dance …

An average runner early in her college career, Megan Vaccaro took her race to the next level in the wake of a family trauma. The most decorated runner in the history of Dominican University says it was a personal tragedy — the death of her beloved father — that sparked her fierce dedication to the sport and her multiple achievements. “Going through college, I learned that nothing is impossible, and if you want something bad enough, you can find a way to make it happen,” 31-year-old Megan Vaccaro says. A native of Oswego and a 2010 graduate of Dominican University, …

As a member of the 34th Infantry Division during World War II, Casey Presta battled his way up the peninsula where his father was born. One of five children, Ferdinand Prestia was born in 1921 to Peter and Jenny (Tavolina). His father immigrated to Chicago from Marsala, Italy, by himself when he was 17 years old. The family moved several times during Prestia’s childhood, always in Italian neighborhoods, before settling in the 3900 block of West Flournoy Street. Prestia graduated from Sumner Grade School and attended Crane Tech High School. Over the years, his father worked hard to bring his …

Retired local businessman and charitable dynamo Richard Montalbano Sr. will receive the prestigious Joseph P. Cianci Humanitarian Award at UNICO National’s annual convention, which will run from July 24 to 28 in Nashville. A knight grand cross of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Montalbano is also a past grand knight and district deputy of the Knights of Columbus and a past regional director and grand commander of the Order of Alhambra. He has served for nearly 40 years as the curator of the Crypt of the Saints, a shrine at Visitation Parish in Elmhurst that contains …

The Sons and Daughters of Italy in America will honor veteran educator Lyn Scolaro as Person of the Year at a gala on July 13 at Elmcrest Banquets in Elmwood Park. For details, call 630-913-7654. The following profile was provided by the organization. Lyn Scolaro Professoressa Lyn Scolaro is the daughter of Veneto parents Mary (Cecchin-Galliera Veneta) and Attilio (Loreggia), sister to Lori (Robb) Vasilevich, and the proud ZiZi of Luc and Giuliana. She has been at Prospect High School for 28 years, and has been teaching Italian for 37 years, beginning her career at Mother Guerin High School in …

Data analysis is important in helping players make the leap from the minors to the majors, L.A. Angels exec Mike LaCassa says, but you can’t lose sight of the human element. As director of minor league operations for the Los Angeles Angels, Mike LaCassa says that yes, of course, developing players for Major League Baseball is the goal. “Each time a player moves up a level and especially when they make their Major League debut, it really makes us feel proud of all the work they put in, because none of it comes easily,” the 32-year-old said. But the job …